


The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny

by Vex_ation



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Gen, tournament
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25027042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vex_ation/pseuds/Vex_ation
Summary: Fans pack the stadiums. Lights flash, cameras roll, and pokeballs are thrown. As the final wish from Scott foretold, a great tournament with every dexholder from Kanto to Hoenn would show the world the magnificence of fierce battles and prowess of those we call "dexholders". As thousands of aspiring trainers and fans take their scenes, the battle begins. Ladies and gentlemen, trainers of all ages... it's SHOWTIME!
Comments: 14
Kudos: 17





	1. Blue vs Crystal

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't seen a narration of the Emerald arc tournament and decided to give it a whirl!  
> PS: props to you if you recognize where I got my title ;)

Crystal couldn’t say she wasn’t a  _ little _ bit scared. She was a capturer, not a battler, and though she knew she had the skill to outwit and restrain any pokemon long enough to subdue and catch them, she also knew she wasn’t prepared in the slightest to take down an entire team of Pokemon trained by the world’s most elite trainers. Still, she reminded herself, this wasn’t about her pride. This was about  _ Emerald _ , so it really didn’t matter if she won or lost as long as she was there supporting him. Even still, as Blue stared her down from across the arena, Crystal couldn’t help but feel nervous. 

“Reveal your Pokemon! This is a one on one, so choose carefully,” shouted the announcer. Shaking out her nerves with a sigh, Crystal released her first and only pokemon for the match-- Archee-- whose form took shape with a fierce flash. The ground shook as Blue’s Wigglytuff bounced on the opposite side of the arena, her tiny fists clenched in preparation. The stadium fell into a hushed silence as the hot Hoennian sun beat down on the participants, which Crystal had to admit worked out in her favor. Each of Archee’s breaths shone with the flickering of embers that disappeared into the thick Hoenn air. He, like his trainer, was ready to go, and though Crystal was sure to be beaten, they weren’t going down without a fight. 

As Crystal ran through battle strategies like a mental checklist, she wondered if perhaps she could use her old capture tactics to her advantage. She may not be able to defeat Blue in brute force or battle tactics, but fighting against a capture pro wasn’t something just anyone was prepared to face. Perhaps she could use the element of surprise? There was only one to find out. By the time the referee waved down the flag, Crystal had a plan. Right from the word go, Crystal was ready. She would approach Blue’s team as though the trainer were a legendary Pokemon-- powerful and fickle-- and work by limiting her movements and avenues of escape first. Brute force would come later. 

“Archee, use Fire Spin!”

Though she couldn’t read Blue’s expression from the other side of the arena, she could almost imagine her faltering. Archee’s Intimidate had already dropped Jiggly’s attack, and before Jiggly could make a move, flames were already spreading like a labyrinth throughout the field. For a fire type like Archee this was no problem, but the vortex could prove troublesome even for a thick-skinned Pokemon like Jiggly. The audience gasped as the entire arena became cloaked in flame in an instant-- Hoenn’s unbearable heat only made the attack more powerful as it towered in glowing walls up to the sky. Sheets of fire flickered and burned until the very air shimmered from heat. Between the limited visibility and the overwhelming heat, Crystal was confident they had the upper hand, at least for now. 

“Crystal from Violet City makes the first move, restricting her opponent’s move with Fire Spin! Looks like Wigglytuff won’t be making any direct contact any time soon!”

As Crystal motioned for Archee to sniff out Jiggly’s whereabouts and prepare for an attack, the announcer’s voice blared over the speakers. Jiggly was using Defense Curl, apparently. Perhaps she was preparing to charge through the flames? Archee’s nose suddenly curled in disgust. Crystal wasn’t sure what it meant, but clearly Blue was doing something that would end this battle a lot more quickly than Crystal intended. As wispy brown dust rose beyond the fire, she threw out a hand. 

“Archee, Extremespeed!”

The dry ground cracking under his paws, Archee launched himself through the flames at full speed. Ripples of fire mused his fur, cloaking him in heat and amplifying his power as he rocketed down the field. Crystal lost him amongst the flames, but a loud crack told her that he hit his target… or at least hit something. 

“And massive damage for the both of them!” the announcer shouted. Though she knew Blue couldn’t see a thing because of Fire Spin, Crystal realized that neither could she. If Archee was in his element, she doubted that he would lose his nerve. 

“Archee, Flamethrower!” she shouted over the roar of the inferno. Hearing Jiggly’s occasional squeaks, Crystal almost felt bad as Archee cloaked the arena in fire. Squinting and trying to see past the crackling sands, she could only see glimpses of Jiggly hopping backwards as Archee’s attack blasted in front of her, blocking Jiggly’s path more and more. Crystal felt sweat roll down her forehead, wondering silently how Jiggly was doing. Soon, there would be nowhere to run, and so close to the flames? She wouldn’t want to be the Pokemon in this scenario. 

“-- and Wigglytuff is trapped, but does Blue have a strategy up her sleeves? Our fireproof cameras are on the scene, helping you get a glimpse of what’s happening within the Fire Spin!”

There were dual cracks, this time with a yelp from Archee amidst the sizzle that made Crystal wince. The brown steam-- whatever exactly it was-- rose higher, bringing the flames down to a simmer. Wiping the grit from her eyes, Crystal struggled to see. A spherical shape caught her eye.

“Those two rollouts really did a number on poor Arcanine! And that boosted power-- is the third time the charm for Blue and Wigglytuff?!”

“Use Bite next time she attacks!” Crystal commanded. Something dry and painful caught in her throat, and as she heard the howls of the crowds rise in a chorus around her, she wondered what was making it so hard to breathe. She and Archee were in sync; she didn’t have to listen to the announcer to know that Archee had caught Jiggly mid-Rollout and gave her enough warning not to try again. Though the lack of visibility made her nervous, Archee’s nose was far better than her eyesight, so she had full faith in him. Finally clearing her throat, Crystal tuned into the announcer once again. 

“This dual purpose Rollout is a stroke of genius! The dust kicked up not only charges the attack, but nullifies the power of Fire Spin! Looks like Crystal is in trouble.” 

With a whirr like a buzzsaw, Jiggly focused her entire, most powerful attack at the ground, beating up a massive cloud of dust that began to fill the stadium and smother the flames. As the flames died down, Crystal suddenly realized the point of the Defense Curl and the strange attacks-- it made Rollout twice as effective, which Jiggly used to hit Archee harder and to attack the ground, making it impossible for Archee to use fire-type moves or locate her by scent. 

“Things aren’t looking good for the capture pro, but Wigglytuff looks exhausted and seems to have taken a burn from the Fire Spin! That accumulated damage may cost her the match!

Archee pawed at his eyes, looking wiped after taking two Rollouts to the face. Crystal had to make a decision: Keep on the offense and risk more damage and a possible knockout or go for the long game and switch to defense? Blue shifted her stance. 

“Dig in!” Crystal shouted. “Burn up the dust!”

Archee chuffed, creating a clearing around himself and widening the distance between him and the dust cloud. Jiggly was hiding somewhere in there, thumping her feet and stirring up more dirt, at this point seemingly just to mess with them. Archee’s nose twitched. 

“Metronome!” 

“Fire Spin!” 

Jiggly rushed at Archy in a seemingly random zigzag pattern, bounding to and fro across the arena to land a hit and retreat back into the cover of dust. Only the slight twitching of her ears gave her away as she ricocheted, using Archee as her anchor to spin wildly about. 

“Water Gun! Mega Punch! Splash! It’s the entire move catalogue folks, but there’s nothing Arcanine can do!”

A rush of water-- likely Hydro Pump-- narrowly missed Archee and evaporated with a hiss, shaving a chunk of his Fire Spin off in the process. Unpredictable attacks were flying in every direction as the announcers tried and failed to recognize and explain each one, giving Archee more than enough to focus on. The Fire Spin cloaking his fur gave him an edge, as every attack was dulled by the flame and dished a healthy dose of damage back to Jiggly, but it seemed like only enough to keep him on his paws. He couldn’t keep this up forever and Blue knew it. 

Crystal made a slight movement with her hands; Archee’s ear twitched in recognition and he, seemingly on his own, whirled around and caught Jiggly between his jaws with a powerful Bite-- only for the attack to ring hollow as Archee’s jaws snapped together on empty air. 

“INCREDIBLE!! A battle ending move is totally avoided by a sneaky use of Double Team and the stadium is going wild!”

The Wigglytuffs flying at Archee seemed to increase: not in speed, but in number, and Crystal suddenly realized she was fighting a losing fight.   
“Sweep the area with Flamethrower!” she commanded, and suddenly the flames coating Archee burst out in every direction, blasting away the dust and making the Double Team copies dissolve like smoke. But… where was the real Jiggly?  
Before Crystal could react, Jiggly burst from the dirt, making Archee flinch and giving Blue the only few seconds of surprise she needed to end the battle. Jiggly’s fist was coated in a brilliant white light, and though Crystal could not identify the attack, she knew it was certainly not Dig. 

The stadium reached a fever pitch by this point, the announcers shouting over each other as they tried to keep up with the action. 

“Wigglytuff escapes unharmed from yet another powerful attack by using the dust and Double Team to hide itself underground, flawlessly transitioning to a Facade to take use of its burn status and--- BAM there it goes!”

The attack slammed into Archee’s head with more power than Crystal expected, sending Arche stumbling backwards with a pained howl. The Flamethrower he had been charging was nullified, thick black smoke pouring from Archee’s jaws as he coughed and tried his best to retaliate against Jiggly’s relentless strings of attacks. He managed a single Bite and a small Flamethrower, but against Jiggly’s defenses, it barely seemed like a scratch. By the time Archee finally shook off Jiggly, Crystal had already accepted defeat. 

She finally let herself relax, the roar of the stadium coming back to her as she broke from her usual focus and eased back into reality. Letting her shoulders slump, she heard the announcer still saying something about Facades and Burn status and how they interacted… there was research to do yet. Crystal could see the heat in Archee’s mouth glow between his jaws, and with a shake of his head he finally let out a puff of steam, letting the brilliant orange flames take shape and disappear into the air. His muscles tensed and untensed, and though he appeared to be steady, Crystal could see the exhaustion in his ever-shifting stance. His claws dug into the sandy ground, and Crystal knew that though Archee would fight until his last breath if she let him, this was the end of the two of them. As Jiggly charged an attack from across the field, Crystal lifted her hand in defeat. 

“I FORFEIT!” she called out as Archee let loose the breath he had been holding and collapsed to his knees. She walked onto the field as Jiggly’s attack receded on the other side of the arena, she and her trainer shifting back to steady, relaxed stances. 

“Good job,” Crystal said to him, scratching him behind the ears as he turned to her guiltily. “We’re capture pros, not battle champions. You put on a great show.”

Archee chuffed in gratitude, nuzzling into her chest and accepting all her belly rubs as the announcer called the match and announced the details of the next battle coming soon thereafter. Before she knew it, Blue was in front of her, Jiggly looking mostly unharmed at her side as the two of them looked down at the trainer and her exhausted Pokemon. 

“You could’ve kept going,” Blue said, sounding surprised. “There were a few points where I thought you had turned everything around.” 

“What for?” Crystal asked, not bothering to look up as she showered Archee in more praise and affection. “I have nothing to prove. At first I was a little worried-- I didn’t want to be the first one out of the tournament, being a capture pro and Oak’s assistant and all. Ultimately though, I know my own worth and potential and I don’t need to win a battle to prove that. Besides, I’m here to support Emerald in the end.”

Blue just stared at her, a hard to read expression on her face. “I know a thing or two about supporting younger siblings.” Crystal looked taken aback. 

“Emerald isn’t m--” 

“Have you seen the way he looks at you? It’s obvious he adores you.”

“Am I… did I adopt a younger brother?” Crystal asked no one in particular as she recalled Archee back to his pokeball. Blue took her hand and pulled her to her feet. 

“I hate to say it, but we’re in the same boat-- we have little brothers whether we asked for it or not. You and Emerald really do remind me of myself and Silver, in a way.”

She stared off into the stands, where Silver was watching her with a small, fond smile. He waved to the two of them, so they waved back as Gold shoved his popcorn container into Silver’s face and dragged him away to get more. 

“Wanna talk about it while we recharge?” Blue said. “I’ve been through it all before. Plus, I can tell you all about that move I used-- you seemed curious.”

Crystal couldn’t help but smile. “That sounds lovely.”


	2. Green vs Ruby

“And we have another thrilling one on one coming up now! The lineage of these two trainers is not something to be taken lightly!”

Green could not believe what he was hearing. This child was the son of a gym leader? He had heard about Norman numerous times before-- more so for his temper than his prowess-- but even still. It seemed so bizarre that someone with that reputation, with that fortitude, with such an iron will and reputable skill could somehow pass on his genes to someone who looked like they got into a fight in the Hobby Lobby fabric department. And yet here he was, Ruby from Goldenrod, standing in all his glittery glory and looking completely ready to throw down against the Viridian Gym leader himself. 

“This will be a one on one battle in our tall grass arena-- the center of the battlefield will be covered in dense safari grass! Choose your Pokemon carefully. Trainers, on the count of three release your Pokemon!” 

Green took a deep breath to steady himself. One… Two…. 

He could barely watch Porygon-2 emerge from his ball because a certain someone on the opposite side of the battlefield did a pirouette as he released his Pokemon. In a burst of light that burned a sizable hole in Green’s retinas, a Delcatty emerged. Its glossy fur caught the sunlight as it strut forwards like it was on a catwalk and not a grassy battlefield. Green squinted. Was his opponent taking out a camera?

Noticing his skepticism, Ruby smiled and waved. “This will make a lovely collection of photos for Kiki, don’t you think?” he cooed. Green shook his head, trying to tune out the announcer and focus on his erratic opponent. The sooner this battle was over, the better.

“Tri Attack,” Green commanded simply. Without a word, Porygon2 zipped across the battlefield like a bolt of lightning, crashing into Kiki before the pampered kitten could react and, apparently, making it disappear completely. Whirling around, Porygon2 beeped in confusion and rushed to the opposite side of the battlefield where Kiki had magically seemed to apparate. Yet again, the attacks went straight through her like she was a ghost. Green didn’t falter. He was not a fool and neither was Porygon2-- this was simply a well-executed Double Team. Ruby was on his stomach now, crooning like an out of touch reporter and taking pictures of his precious Pokemon from the ‘ideal angle’. 

“Strike a pose, Kiki!” he said.  _ Aha. Code word.  _

Green nodded as Porygon2 raced towards Kiki, its attack charging up. Instead of disappearing into thin air, this time Delcatty leapt up at the last moment, unsheathed claws striking at nothing. Porygon2, long since aware of her ruse, had zig-zagged directly out of her way. Green smiled as Porygon-2 blasted its opponent from the side. Ruby winced. That was more like it. 

Kiki quickly tucked her legs in, rolling across the battlefield’s grass and popping up again gracefully. She shook off her fur, looking unfazed. Ruby likewise took to his feet, passing the camera off to an attendant and whispering a few things to her. Green smiled. Now things were getting serious-- no more tricks.

Kiki bunched up her haunches, lowering herself into the centerfield grass as Porygon2 beeped and raced around the field. The empty air was Porygon2’s playground, and Green couldn’t imagine a pokemon like Kiki being able to outmaneuver it anytime soon. 

“Stage left,” Ruby said, and Green couldn’t help but smile. Porygon2 wasn’t stupid, veering instead to the right just as Kiki leapt from the grass-- and slammed into Porygon2 with a tornado of claws. So stage left meant his right? Stupid theatre kid therminology. 

Their dance began quickly, Porygon2 darting to fro around the battlefield while Kiki, seemingly able to predict its movements, leapt out at random times to deliver a yet-unnamed attack. Kiki was shockingly well trained, her eyes sharp and her attacks aimed at joints and around the eyes to slow and stun the opponent. Slamming into each other again and again, Green allowed the battle to drag on a bit longer. As hurt as Porygon was, it wasn’t without its own tricks, deflecting Kiki’s attacks back to her and exhausting both of them. All this leaping about was tiring Kiki more than Porygon2, and it was when the Delcatty was thoroughly exhausted that Green could make his move. Battles like these were about the waiting game. You had to read your opponent, develop a strategy, and learn the rules of the game before you truly became a player. He blinked slowly. Porygon2 silently acknowledged the command. 

Porygon2 faltered, hovering shakily in the middle of the battlefield. As expected, Kiki leapt from the grass-- a half second too sluggish-- and hooked Porygon2 with her claws to drag him to the ground. The crowd went silent as the Viridian Gym leader watched his Pokemon disappear from view, about to be taken down by a contest star’s Delcatty. Green tried not to smile as Kiki bared her fangs, fully prepared to end the battle. The attendant holding the camera snapped a picture, futilely trying to capture the win even through the thick grass, but the hissing slowly turned to a panicked caterwaul as an explosion of electricity burst across the battlefield, turning the tall grass to a pile of charred dust and launching Kiki into the air like a rocket. Crackling drowned out the gasps of the crowd as Porygon2 reeled from the force of the attack. There was a moment where both Kiki and Ruby seemed frozen in shock. 

Kiki’s muscles tensed, but within a moment she had twisted herself back into place and fell downwards, pulling her front leg back into a strike. Green was not worried until her glowing claws slammed into Porygon2 with twice as much force as before, sending the both of them crashing into the scorched earth. 

Of course-- Facade. Green lured Kiki in to ensure Zap Cannon wouldn’t miss, but Ruby had turned Zap Cannon’s paralysis into an advantage using Facade just as quickly. As Porygon2 blasted another arc of electricity at Kiki, breaking free with a chorus of panicked beeping, Green realized that perhaps he wasn’t giving Ruby enough credit. He snapped and nodded. Kiki couldn’t hide among the grass anymore-- neither could Porygon2, for that matter-- and Green was more easily able to read their movements. As the cells of Porygon2 seemed to fold in on themselves, Kiki prepared for another leap. It would only take one Facade to bring down Porygon2, which Green had to admit was way closer to defeat than he would have liked while facing down a contest star. Despite that though, he quickly instructed Porygon not to move. Kiki sailed towards him, claws outstretched, and swiped-- the attack and Kiki herself flying right through it. Far from a graceful landing, Kiki’s muscles seized from paralysis and she took a sudden and painful tumble across the dirt. 

“Her fur!” Ruby wailed as though that was the biggest concern. Kiki struggled to get back on her paws, shaking flecks of dirt from her head as she unsheathed her claws. 

“Facade is useless now,” Green said simply, and, noting Ruby’s confusion, rolled his eyes a little bit as his gym leader training came back to him. 

“Pokemon moves can have various effects,” Green explained as Porygon2 launched a bevy of Tri Attacks at Kiki, who was struggling to dodge them all on shaky, paralyzed paws. He was only halfway aware of the microphones trained on his explanation and the snickers from his friends in the audience. “The move I used on you is a Status Move called Conversion2, which changes the type of Porygon2 to a type that is immune or resistant to the last move used agai--”

A loud crack pulled Green from his thoughts. Porygon2 was sailing through the air like a ragdoll, Kiki looked pleased as she raced after it with a metallic tail shining in the light. 

“Isn’t she the cutest?” Ruby purred as though his pokemon were chasing a feathered toy and not his Pokemon. Scowling, Green made slashes in the air with his arm, Porygon2 spinning back in control; faithfully following his commands and darting just out of reach of Iron Tail each time. Ruby had taken the camera back from the assistant and began snapping pictures once more. At least someone was enjoying this battle. 

As an Iron Tail grazed Porygon2’s side, he realized he would have to finish this now. He curled his fist and struck downwards, signaling to Porygon2 that they were ending this immediately. Drawing backwards towards the center of the battlefield, Porygon2 beeped in alarm and dropped like a sack of bricks, seemingly from exhaustion. As the electricity silently built within it, Kiki skidded to a stop, raised her tail once more, and swung it down with as much power as she could manage. The audience gasped as she froze, her tail mere inches from Porygon2’s beak. It beeped happily as whips of electricity shot from its body, holding Kiki’s tail in place. 

She hissed, trying harder and harder to push down and land the finishing blow. Arcs of electricity shot in every direction, fizzling out as they reached the edges of the battlefield. Around the two pokemon was a field of sparks and lightning, half-blinding anyone who looked at it directly. From the other side of the field, Green could hear the unmistakable click of the camera. Green ended the battle with two words: “Finish this.”

Porygon2 beeped and sputtered like an overheated computer as it pulled Kiki forward by her tail, the electricity sticking to the Iron Tail like a magnet and letting the limbless duck spin her round and round as she shrieked in furious surprise. With a quick slam downwards it was over, the still sparking Delcatty twitching in protest with her legs sticking straight up, claws still unsheathed in the sign of battle. 

“The Winner is Green Oak of Pallet Town!” the speakers blared, and as Green stepped back and let himself tune into the rest of the world, he took a glance over at his opponent, who seemed beyond thrilled to have lost. Green rolled the tension from his shoulders and stared at the cheering masses, wishing for a moment that he was back in his gym. Crowds were not his thing. Slowly, he walked over to his opponent, passing some healing berries to Porygon2 on the way as the duck chittered and raced in circles around his head. 

“Good job,” he said, speaking both to Porygon2 and the trainer crouched on the field in front of him. 

“Thanks!” Ruby replied as he bundled Kiki into his arms. “I got the most divine pictures of my cute little Kiki, so I really should be thanking you! I’ve got albums of her photographs, see, and if you wanted to look at them I hav--”

“It was a wonderful match,” Green said bluntly. If Ruby was bothered by being cut off, he didn’t look it. Instead, he just shrugged and stroked the fur on Kiki’s head. As Ruby whispered praises into Kiki’s fur and promised to give her a nice long bath, Green could only wonder how he had come within inches of losing to someone like this. 


End file.
